Baie des Pigeons

Baie des Pigeons (Pigeon Bay) is a deserted, yet easily accessible bay located near Diego Suarez in northern Madagascar. From the village of Ramena it's only an about four kilometres walk along an unpaved, sandy road.

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Starting in Ramena, the road passes the military base ORANGEA where soldiers will charge a 5,000 Ariary entry fee per person (November 2011). After some old ruins of former military buildings, the road sneaks up a small hill towards Cap Miné Lighthouse. Near the lighthouse are some canons and other remains of defense constructions built by the French Army. From there it is only a short walk to Baie des Dunes. A stroll along the beach leads to a rocky half-island, which separates Baie des Dunes from Baie des Pigeons.

Baie des Pigeons is completely isolated. At high tide the turquoise water invites for a swim. On the south side of the bay are high dunes visible, from which one has a wonderful view over the bays and the Indian Ocean. Below the dunes a path leads to Sakalava Bay, passing two more beaches of which the first one is the most beautiful. The walk from Ramena to Sakalava Bay takes between 2.5 and 3 hours.

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Additional information

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  • Note: In 2011 there were reports of at least five non-violent robberies in the area.